Christmas at
Sagamore Hill
WITH THEODORE ROOSEVELT
by
Helen Topping Miller
LONGMANS, GREEN AND CO.
NEW YORK · LONDON · TORONTO
1960
LONGMANS, GREEN AND CO., INC.
119 WEST 40TH STREET, NEW YORK 18
LONGMANS, GREEN AND CO., Ltd.
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CHRISTMAS AT SAGAMORE HILL
COPYRIGHT © 1960
BY
J. A. HILL AND DONALD G. TOPPING
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED, INCLUDING THE RIGHT TO REPRODUCE THIS BOOK, OR ANY PORTION THEREOF, IN ANY FORM
PUBLISHED SIMULTANEOUSLY IN THE DOMINION OF CANADA BY
LONGMANS, GREEN AND CO., TORONTO
FIRST EDITION
LIBRARY OF CONGRESS CATALOG CARD NUMBER 60-53227
Printed in the United States of America
Christmas at Sagamore Hill
The night was bitterly cold and a raw wind was blowingoff the Bay, sending dry leaves scudding and whippingthe naked boughs of the trees, when Theodore Rooseveltalighted from his carriage at Sagamore Hill. He got outbackward very cautiously, easing his muscular bulk downlightly on his feet although he was holding both armsstraight out before him. The burden they bore was precarious.
In his arms he balanced a great globe in which a dozengoldfish were swimming dizzily. Already a thin film of icehad formed on top of the water and fragments of it followedthe fish about in their hysterical dashings back andforth.
He walked to the steps, setting his feet down firmly asnot long since he had tramped the rough vine- and fern-tangledhills in Cuba. Only now, he thought gratefully,nobody was shooting at him.
The door of the big rambling house opened as hemounted the steps and warm light greeted him. So did achorus of assorted shrieks.
“Father’s home!”
Four children came rushing out into the night, staidAlice trying to remember the dignity expected of a younglady of fourteen, Theodore, frail and owlish, peeringthrough his spectacles, Kermit, slender and fair with legs2that seemed too slim to support his wiry body, and afterthem four-year-old Archie, stumbling and falling flat onthe cold floor.
“Pick him up!” directed Roosevelt. “You see I have myhands full. And hold the door and let me in before I dropthis slippery thing.”
“What in the world is it, Father?” asked Alice, hurryingto prop the door wide for him.
“Can’t you see?” demanded Kermit. “It’s fishes.” Hescuttled behind his father.
“Move all those things,” Roosevelt ordered, pointing tothe hall table. “Let me set this down.”
Alice hastily removed the card tray and candlesticksfrom the table, setting them carefully on the floor. The fishcontinued their giddy pirouette and small Archie pressedhis button of a nose against the cold glass.
“They dancing,” he exclaimed delightedly. “Father,fishes dancing!”
“Silly! Fishes can